Spam volumes are increasing rapidly and the problem is getting worse as spammers use more and more sophistication in an attempt
to defeat current antispam technology. There are a variety of solutions available to defeat spam, but connection management
is among the more effective techniques in thwarting the newest spam threats.
The concept behind connection management is quite simple. Let’s say, for example, that there is a knock on my back door one
evening, I look through the peephole and see someone carrying a bloody knife. If I used only the knife as the determining
factor for whether or not I would open the door, I would be highly unlikely to do so. However, if it were a good friend or
a police officer holding the knife, I would definitely open the door.
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Connection management works much the same way. Spam control systems that use this technique to evaluate the reputation of
the sender and particular aspects of their behavior to establish the likelihood that the sender is a spammer. Those that are
likely spammers can be treated in a much different way than those who are unlikely to be spammers. While there can be false
positives using this approach, likely spammers are not necessarily blocked from sending content, but can be throttled so as
to minimize their impact on network performance.
There are several advantages of using connection management to block spam, but the most important one is the dramatic decrease
in the amount of spam that will enter the network, allowing existing spam filtering technologies not to be overwhelmed as
the result of spikes in spam that are occurring with alarming frequency. This allows an organization to preserve its investment
in spam-blocking technology without having to continually invest in new systems as older systems become overwhelmed.
Osterman Research will be hosting a Webinar on connection management this week. You can sign up for this no-charge event to learn more about how connection management
works, and to learn how two leading vendors are approaching the problem.
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